“But why?” interrupted Beauclerc.--“Ought there to be any circumstances which cannot be told to the man to whom you have plighted your faith? Away with this ‘cannot--this mystery!’ Did not I tell you every folly of my life--every fault? And what is this?--in itself, nothing!--concealment everything--Oh! Helen--” She was going to say, “If it concerned only myself,”--but that would at once betray Cecilia, and she went on.--“If it were in my opinion right to tell it to you, I would. On this point, Granville, leave me to judge and act for myself. This is the test to which I put your love--put mine to any test you will, but if your confidence in me is not sufficient to endure this trial, we can never be happy together.” She spoke very low: but Beauclerc listened with such intensity that he could not only distinguish every syllable she said, but could distinctly hear the beating of her heart, which throbbed violently, in spite of all her efforts to be calm. “Can you trust me?” concluded she. “I can,” cried he. “I can--I do! By Heaven I do! I think you an angel, and legions of devils could not convince me of the contrary. I trust your word--I trust that heavenly countenance--I trust entirely----” He offered, and she took his offered hand. “I trust entirely. Not one question more shall I ask--not a suspicion shall I have: you put me to the test, you shall find me stand it.” “Can you?” said she; “you know how much I ask. I acknowledge a mystery, and yet I ask you to believe that I am not wrong.” “I know,” said she; “you shall see.” And both in happiness once more, they returned to the house. “I love her a thousand times better than ever,” thought Beauclerc, “for the independence of mind she shows in thus braving my opinion, daring to set all upon the cast--something noble in this! I am to form my own judgment of her, and I will, independently of what any other human being may say or think. The general, with his strict, narrow, conventional notions, has not an idea of the kind of woman I like, or of what Helen really is. He sees in Helen only the discreet proper-behaved young lady, adapted, so nicely adapted to her place in society, to nitch and notch in, and to be of no sort of value out of it. Give me a being able to stand alone, to think and feel, decide and act, for herself. Were Helen only what the general thinks her, she would not be for me; while she is what I think her, I love--I adore!” And when he saw his guardian, Beauclerc declared that, though Helen had entered into no explanations, he was perfectly satisfied.